Thumb Rest

ABSTRACT

A thumb rest for a pistol is disclosed, with the goal of allowing for more accurate shooting. The present invention is designed to give a shooter using this new style of shooting an additional point of control for the off-hand to utilize when stabilizing and aiming a pistol. The thumb rest is attached to a lower rail of a pistol. The present invention&#39;s assembly adds a support structure in the form of a thumb rest for a shooter&#39;s off hand to rest on and provide resistive force, while keeping the thumb from making contact with moving parts of a pistol. The present invention allows for a shooter to better grip a pistol and provide resistance to recoil forces by means of the present invention&#39;s thumb rest pad.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/325,924, a filing receipt of which is attached along with a request to the USPTO to retrieve this document, the contents of which are included and incorporated by reference into this utility patent application.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention is in the technical field of firearms. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of pistols. More particularly still, the present invention is a shooting accessory for a pistol. As a brief summary of one embodiment of the invention, a thumb rest for a pistol is disclosed, with the goal of allowing for more accurate shooting.

Since the inception of the pistol, shooters have typically used their dominant hand and trigger hand to aim and control the weapon. There is new teaching that suggests that this style of shooting is more difficult to learn and typically less accurate when compared to newer techniques that incorporate the off hand, or non-trigger hand. The new pistol aiming technique taught to and utilized by America's special forces, requires a shooter to grasp a pistol with their dominant hand, wrap the fingers of the off hand over the fingers of the dominant hand, and then align the thumbs of both hands forward toward the front of the gun, using the off hand to aim the pistol while using the dominant hand to pull the trigger. This technique reduces the torqueing caused by pulling the trigger in typical shooting styles because the off hand has stabilized the weapon on target, allowing for a more controlled trigger pull.

The present invention is designed to give a shooter using this new style of shooting an additional point of control for the off hand to utilize when stabilizing and aiming a pistol. The shooter can now apply force to this thumb rest as well as use the pad to counter the forces of recoil that occur when firing a pistol. This is advantageous to a shooter because it allows for a stronger grip, better control as well as faster acquisition of a target after firing. The present invention is also advantageous by means of preventing the shooters off hand and thumb coming in contact with the slide of the weapon, which is important to proper weapon function when firing a pistol. The present invention creates a strong and secure position for a shooter to rest their off hand thumb in order to more safely and accurately fire their pistol.

SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENT

The present invention is a rest for a shooter's off hand thumb. It is attached to a lower rail of a pistol. The present invention's assembly adds a support structure in the form of a thumb rest for a shooter's off hand to rest on and provide resistive force, while keeping the thumb from making contact with moving parts of a pistol. The present invention allows for a shooter to better grip a pistol and provide resistance to recoil forces by means of the present invention's thumb rest pad. The present invention is intended to be placed on a pistols lower rail, located under the barrel of a pistol. The present invention has a base and a lock plate that attach to a pistol's lower rail. Attached to the base and lock plate is the thumb plate that provides the thumb pad and thumb guard. The thumb plate on the present invention provides the thumb pad where a shooter positions their thumb in order to counter act recoil forces and provide pressure and control in the aiming process. The present invention is fixed securely in position to a pistols rail by means of tightening the base and lock plate, in order to impede lateral and vertical movement of the invention, additionally a set screw in the base provides the arrestment of horizontal movement. This mounting configuration assures that the thumb plate, which is the feature of the invention that a shooter handles and applies forces to, never moves out of its fixed position.

The aforementioned invention is a preferred embodiment, but one could create alternate embodiments. One such alternate embodiment may not utilize a set screw, while another alternate embodiment could have a sprung pin or boss that replaces the set screw, in order to fix the alternate embodiment's horizontal movement. An additional alternate embodiment could incorporate a different design or angle to the thumb pad and or the thumb guard portion of the alternate embodiment.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. The features listed herein and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. It should be understood the while the preferred embodiments of the invention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with references made to the drawings below. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed upon clearly illustrating the components of the present invention. Moreover, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts through the several views in the drawings. Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention are not limited in their application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments of the invention are capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways. In addition, the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of present embodiment,

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of present embodiment's thumb plate,

FIG. 3 is an isometric exploded view of present embodiment and a pistol,

FIG. 4 is a side view of the present embodiment installed on a pistol, held by two hands in a shooting position, and

FIG. 5 is rear view of the present embodiment installed on a pistol, held by two hands in a shooting position.

DRAWINGS Reference Numerals

-   1. Present embodiment -   2. Thumb plate -   3. Thumb plate fastener -   4. Lock plate -   5. Base -   6. Base tooth -   7. Lock plate tooth -   8. Set screw -   9. Spacer -   10. Thumb guard -   11. Thumb pad -   12. Angled surface -   13. Fastener hole on thumb plate -   14. Mount face -   15. Lower rail -   16. Slide -   17. Frame -   18. Pistol -   19. Trigger -   20. Hand grip -   21. Trigger hand -   22. Off hand -   23. Negative space -   24. Slide direction of motion -   25. Lock plate through hole -   26. Base threaded fastener hole -   27. Base threaded set screw hole

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of the invention are described in some detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that variations and changes thereto are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my invention.

All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.

The present embodiment will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present embodiment. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps and/or structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present embodiment. The features and advantages of embodiments may be better understood with reference to the drawings and discussions that follow.

Since the basic firearm is of a well-known type, only those parts of the firearm essential to an understanding of the present embodiment will be described in detail. Although the present embodiment will be described with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present embodiment can be embodied in many alternate forms or embodiments. In addition, any suitable size, shape or type of elements or materials could be used.

The present embodiment is a thumb rest comprised of; a thumb plate, lock plate and base, held together with fasteners and a set screw. The present embodiment's assembly mounts on to a pistols lower rail. The present embodiment allows for a shooter to apply pressure to the thumb pad in order to form a more secure grip of the pistol, as well as counter act the recoil forces of the slide. The present embodiment also protects the shooters off hand thumb from making contact with the slide, preventing pistol malfunction or unintended contact with the slide and or other moving parts.

FIG. 1. Referring now to the present embodiment 1 in more detail. In FIG. 1 there is shown an isometric view of the present embodiment 1. The present embodiment 1 consists of; a base 5, a lock plate 4, a set screw, a thumb plate 2, thumb plate fasteners 3, and spacers 9 between the lock plate 4 and the base 5.

FIG. 2. Referring now to the present embodiment 1 in more detail. In FIG. 2 there is shown an isometric view of present embodiment's thumb plate 2. The thumb plate 2 is comprised of many unique features. The features unique to the thumb plate 2 are; a thumb guard 10, a thumb pad 11, a angled surface 12, fastener holes 13, and a mount face 14. The thumb guard 10 is intended to prevent a shooter's off hand 22 thumb from coming in contact with a pistol's slide 16. The thumb pad 11 is a place on which a shooter's off hand 22 thumb to rest and place pressure. The angled surface 12 tapers away from the thumb pad 11 in such a way that one can more easily holster a pistol 18 that has the present embodiment 1 attached. The fastener holes on the thumb plate 13 are used to attach the thumb plate 2 securely to a base 5. The mount face 14 is designed to connect with a base 5, washers 9 and lock plate 4 by means of thumb plate fasteners 3.

FIG. 3. Referring now to the present embodiment 1 in more detail. In FIG. 3, there is shown isometric exploded view of present embodiment 1 and a pistol 18. The pistol 18 is comprised of; a slide 16, a trigger 19, a frame 17, a lower rail 15, and a hand grip 20. The present embodiment 1 has a base 5 which consists of a base tooth 6, a base threaded set screw hole 27 and two base threaded fastener holes 26. The present embodiment 1 also has a lock plate 4 which consists of a lock plate tooth 7 and two lock plate through holes 25.

The present embodiment 1 is mounted to a pistol 18 by means of aligning the base tooth 6 and the lock plate tooth 7 with the lower rail 15 of the pistol 18. Spacers 9 are sometimes needed between the base 5 and the lock plate 4, depending on the manufacture of the pistol 18. The thumb plate 2 is then aligned with the lock plate 4. Thumb plate fasteners 3 are inserted through fastener holes on thumb plate 13 and lock plate through holes 25 and finally threading in to the base threaded fastener holes 26 located on the base 5. When the thumb plate fasteners 3 are firmly tightened, the present embodiment 1 will be fixed on to a pistol's 18 lower rail 15. To ensure the present embodiment does not come loose, a set screw 8 is inserted and tightened in to a base threaded set screw hole 27 until the set screw 8 firmly contacts the underside of the lower rail 15.

FIG. 4. Referring now to the present embodiment 1 in more detail. In FIG. 4, there is shown a side view of the present embodiment 1 installed on a pistol 18, held by two hands 21, 22, in a shooting position. The present embodiment 1 is shown attached to the lower rail 15 of a pistol 18. A shooter places their trigger hand 21 on the hand grip 20 and their off hand 22 around the trigger hand 21, the shooter then rests their off hand 22 thumb, on to the present embodiments 1 thumb pad 11. The hand position shown in FIG. 4 helps to counter act the recoil of the slide direction of motion 24 when the pistol 18 is fired.

FIG. 5. Referring now to the present embodiment 1 in more detail. In FIG. 5, there is shown a rear view of the present embodiment 1 installed on a pistol 18, held by two hands in a shooting position. The present embodiment 1 is shown attached to a pistol 18. The slide 16 of the pistol 18 moves when the pistol 18 is fired. The present embodiment's 1 thumb plate 2 thumb guard 10 prevents a shooter's off hand 22 thumb from contacting the slide 16, by creating negative space 23 between the slide 16 and the shooters off hand 22 thumb.

OPERATION OF THE EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 3, the present embodiment 1 is mounted to a pistol 18 by means of aligning the base tooth 6 and the lock plate tooth 7 with the lower rail 15 of the pistol 18. Spacers 9 are sometimes needed between the base 5 and the lock plate 4, depending on the manufacture of the pistol 18. The thumb plate 2 is then aligned with the lock plate 4, then thumb plate fasteners 3 are inserted through fastener holes on thumb plate 13 and lock plate through holes 25 and finally threading in to the base threaded fastener holes 26 located on the base 5. When the thumb plate fasteners 3 are firmly tightened, the present embodiment 1 will be fixed on to a pistol's 18 lower rail 15. To ensure the present embodiment does not come loose form the pistol 18 a set screw 8 is inserted and tightened in to a base threaded set screw hole 27 until the set screw 8 firmly contacts the lower rail 15.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a shooter places their shooting hand 21 on the hand grip 20 and their off hand 22 around the shooting hand 21, the shooter then rests their off hand 22 thumb, on to the present embodiments 1 thumb pad 11. The hand position shown in FIG. 4 helps to counter act the recoil of the slide direction of motion 24 when the pistol 18 is fired. The present embodiment 1 also gives a shooter the ability to place pressure on the present embodiment's 1 thumb plate 2 thumb pad 11, with their off hand 22 thumb, which aids in the aiming and stabilization process of shooting and handling a pistol 18.

ADVANTAGES

The advantages of the present embodiment include, without limitation, the easy installation as well as removal, of the present embodiment on to a pistol's lower rail. The present embodiment is also advantageous because it aids in the recoil management, helping the shooter counteract the movement of the pistol's slide when the pistol is fired. Compared to the current method which is simply to tightly grasp the pistol's hand grip, the present embodiment creates a more secure grip by means of providing an additional control point in the form of the present embodiments thumb plate thumb pad. A more secure grip provided by the present embodiment aids in the aiming and stabilization process of shooting and handling a pistol. The present embodiment also makes the act of shooting a pistol safer, by providing a thumb guard, preventing a shooter's off hand thumb form coming in contact with the moving slide of the pistol.

The present embodiment is also advantageous to those individuals who wish to have greater control of their pistol, increase their accuracy through better controlled aiming, reduce the effect of recoil by means of the thumb pad, and have a safer shooting experience by avoiding contact with a pistol's slide.

In broad embodiment, the present embodiment is a thumb rest for a shooter's off hand thumb, which aids in accuracy, reduces recoil, increases pistol control and prevents unintended contact with a pistols slide.

While the foregoing written description of the embodiment enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The embodiment should, therefore, not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the embodiment. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An offhand thumb rest and recoil grip assembly, comprising: a base; a thumb plate; and a lock plate, the lock plate is placed in between the base and one end of the thumb plate by attaching the base and the thumb plate into an assembly, wherein a mounting arrangement on the base, with the mounting arrangement, the assembly is configured to attach to a lower rail of a pistol, wherein the lock plate is configured to attach the base on one side and the thumb plate on the other side, wherein the thumb plate is attached with the lock plate and joins the base plate, the thumb plate is extending from the one side of the lock plate with a substantially angled surface, the angled surface including a thumb guard and a thumb pad to provide a thumb rest for the offhand of a shooter, wherein the assembly provides resistive force, while keeping the thumb from making contact with moving parts of the pistol, and wherein the assembly further provides secured hand grips to the pistol and resistance to recoil forces when firing a pistol.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the thumb plate is configured with the thumb pad and thumb guard that provides the thumb rest for the offhand of the shooter to rest on and resistance to recoil forces when firing a pistol.
 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the shooter is able to apply force on the thumb rest and the thumb pad to counter the recoil forces that occur when firing a pistol.
 4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly provides control for the offhand of the shooter when stabilizing and aiming a pistol.
 5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the thumb plate prevents a shooter's offhand thumb coming in contact with a pistol's slide.
 6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the thumb pad is configured to rest a shooter's offhand thumb.
 7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the angled surface tapers away from the thumb pad that can holster a pistol.
 8. A thumb rest and recoil grip assembly for a non-trigger hand, comprising: a base; a thumb plate; and a lock plate, wherein a mounting arrangement on the base consists of a base tooth, a base threaded set screw hole and base threaded fastener holes, with the mounting arrangement, the assembly is configured to attach to a lower rail of a pistol, wherein the lock plate is configured to attach the base on one side and the thumb plate on the other side, wherein the thumb plate is attached with the lock plate and joins the base plate, the thumb plate is extending from the one side of the lock plate with a substantially angled surface, the angled surface including a thumb guard and a thumb pad to provide a thumb rest for the non-trigger hand of a shooter, and wherein the assembly provides secured hand grips to the pistol and resistance to recoil forces when firing a pistol.
 9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the thumb plate having the thumb guard in one side and the thumb pad at other side, both the thumb guard and the thumb pad counter the recoil forces that occur when firing a pistol.
 10. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the assembly provides the thumb rest for non-trigger hand of the shooter to rest on and reduces recoiling forces when firing a pistol.
 11. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the thumb rest comprised of a thumb plate, lock plate and base, held together with fasteners and a set screw.
 12. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the thumb guard is configured to prevent the thumb from coming in contact with a pistol's slide.
 13. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the shooter is able to apply force on the thumb rest and the thumb pad to counter the recoil forces that occur when firing a pistol.
 14. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the thumb pad is configured to rest a thumb of non-trigger hand.
 15. An offhand thumb rest assembly, consisting of: a base; a thumb plate; and a lock plate, wherein a mounting arrangement on the base, with the mounting arrangement the assembly is attached to a lower rail of a pistol, wherein the lock plate is configured to attach the base on one side and the thumb plate on the other side, wherein the thumb plate is attached with the lock plate and joins the base plate, the thumb plate is extending from the one side of the lock plate with a substantially angled surface, the angled surface including a thumb guard and a thumb pad to provide a thumb rest for the offhand of a shooter, wherein the assembly provides resistive force, while keeping the thumb from making contact with moving parts of the pistol, and wherein the assembly further provides secured hand grips to the pistol and resistance to recoil forces when firing a pistol.
 16. The offhand thumb rest assembly of claim 15, wherein the mounting arrangement on the base consists of a base tooth, a base threaded set screw hole and base threaded fastener holes, with the mounting arrangement, the assembly is attached to a lower rail of a pistol,
 17. The offhand thumb rest assembly of claim 15, wherein the assembly provides counter act to the recoil forces and control in the aiming for achieving accuracy in the shooting.
 18. The offhand thumb rest assembly of claim 15, wherein the assembly allows a stronger grip to offhand and thumb rest.
 19. The offhand thumb rest assembly of claim 15, wherein the thumb rest consist of the base, the thumb plate and the lock plate, held together with fasteners and set screws.
 20. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the shooter is able to apply force on the thumb rest and the thumb pad to counter the recoil forces that occur when firing a pistol. 